The present invention relates to monitoring apparatus, and more particularly to a novel arrangement for monitoring the passage of seeds in a multi-row seed planter. While certain features of this invention may be adapted for many different uses, the disclosure will be facilitated by directing it particularly to the problem of monitoring seeds being discharged in a multi-row seed planting machine.
As is well known in the agricultural industry, a farmer engaged in mechanized planting of various seeds utilizes planting machines pulled behind tractors or the like. Such planting machines usually include a plurality of separate planting devices supplied with seeds from either separate hoppers or from a large common hopper so that a plurality of rows of seeds may be planted at one time. With planting equipment heretofore in general use, it has been difficult for a farmer utilizing a relatively large multi-row planting apparatus to determine quickly which one of the plurality of rows has malfunctioned so that it can be corrected in a minimum of time. For example, when operating a 28-row planting machine, it is desirable to monitor each and every row separately so that the farmer can determine the operation of each seed dispensing unit. Generally, monitoring equipment heretofore utilized for such equipment has provided an indicator light which is either energized or deenergized in response to sensing a malfunction. However, in planting equipment having a multitude of rows of seed dispensers, such as twenty to thirty seed dispensers, it is more difficult and expensive to monitor each row utilizing a separate indicator light for each row.